Exploring The East Coast With Elderly Parents, Dog

JEAN ALLEN ADVICE AND DISSENT

September 30, 2001|JEAN ALLEN ADVICE AND DISSENT

Q. I would like to plan a motor trip to the Carolinas. My parents, who are in their 70s, and my dog will be traveling with me. My dog is well-behaved and has been accepted at motels and hotels. However, we are interested in renting a cottage or home where we would have kitchen facilities, located near an area where we could do some sightseeing.

We are thinking in terms of heading north along the coast from Florida. Do you know of any such accommodations? -- Deborah W., Pembroke Pines

A. Heading up the coast, I picked out three areas that should have plenty of vacation rentals, especially now that summer has ended.

Starting in Georgia, three barrier islands -- Jekyll, Sea and St. Simon islands -- known as the Golden Isles, and Brunswick on the mainland have plenty to keep you busy, such as the tourable millionaire "cottages" on Jekyll. Contact the Brunswick-Golden Isles Visitors Bureau, 800-933-2627. If you prefer an inland stay, contact the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism, P.O. Box 1776, Atlanta, GA 30301, 800-847-4842, for a free state guidebook and map. Georgia also has nice state parks with cabins and/or lodges: For parks information and reservations, call 800-864-7275.

In South Carolina, the 60-mile Grand Strand anchored by Myrtle Beach is a popular summer resort and in winter attracts northerners who come to spend a month or more in the sun at low rates. There are many musical theaters with Nashville-style shows, dozens of golf courses and scads of restaurants and discount shopping. The Grand Strand also includes Surfside Beach, Murrells Inlet and Pawleys Island. Contact Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, 800-356-3016, or the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, 803-734-0122.

In North Carolina, the Outer Banks are a long, narrow strip of beautiful barrier islands where man first flew a powered airplane at Kill Devil Hills and the first English colony was established on Roanoke Island. You're not likely to find as many visitors here in fall as at the other two suggestions, but I think it would be a treat to stay in a beachfront cottage and watch the waves roll in. There are several rental agencies: Contact Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 1757, Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948, call 252-441-8144; or the North Carolina Travel and Tourism Division, 800-847-4862.

Web sites were not too satisfactory. Tourstates.com (the Web site of the National Council of State Tourism Directors) provides access to information on all states.

I don't think your well-behaved dog will be a problem for rental properties, but check each place before making reservations.

Tracing Italian heritage

Q. I have long wanted to track down my ancestors in Italy. I am interested in getting information on how to find my grandparents' ancestors, birth certificates, etc. My older sister, who is 70, was born in Italy and came to this country when she was 2 with my mother, who spoke no English. I am 68 and would like to pass along this information to my children, grandchildren and sisters. -- Palmira P., New Cumberland, Penn.

A. Do you know the birth city or village of your parents and maiden name of your mother?

Italy has a number of genealogical records, but to get anywhere, you should know the exact place in Italy your family came from, and then contact the regional capital. Ask relatives and hunt for old birth and death certificates, citizenship papers or something like a family Bible where someone has written a family tree. Church registers may be helpful, but they remain in local churches in Italy.

Anyone searching for roots should waste no time, lest the best sources of information -- family members, relatives and old friends -- pass away.

From a number of Web sites, I found two to be most helpful: www.ancestry.com, old and new birth records; and www.italgen.com, the Italian genealogy home page.

Q. I am planning a trip to Italy with my granddaughter, who is 12. I would like to visit relatives on a side trip to Fasano, province of Bari.

We'll be in Rome, Pisa, Florence, Venice, Ravenna, Assisi, Pompeii, Naples, Palermo, Agrigento, Taormina, Sorrento and the Isle of Capri. Which is closest to Fasano?

Once we arrive in Rome, will the tour guide be of any assistance regarding the side tour? I do not have my relatives' addresses or phone numbers. -- Joseph A., Tamarac

A. Fasano, on the lower east coast of Italy, at the top of the "heel" of the Italian "boot," is not a big tourism region and your tour won't bring you near there. Best bet would be Naples, but even then, you'd have to leave the tour for at least two days to travel to Fasano, see your relatives and rejoin the tour. Trains are the best way to go.

Your tour guide or hotel concierge could call Fasano information to get a phone number and address. Perhaps your folks could travel to see you at one of your overnights.

Or, if you are confident enough to travel on your own, arrange to extend your stay and visit Fasano after the tour. Your guide or concierge could help with train reservations and schedules. Arrangements for a longer stay should be made before you leave home, before airline tickets are issued.